


Thank you

by Aarashi



Category: One Piece
Genre: Feels, Friendship, Gen, Nakamaship, One Shot, Post-Whole Cake Island
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-10
Updated: 2019-08-10
Packaged: 2020-08-14 15:31:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 437
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20194555
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aarashi/pseuds/Aarashi
Summary: After what happened in Whole Cake Island, Sanji feels he has to say something to his captain.





	Thank you

When the meal ended, the crew left. They abandoned the galley between laughs and compliments and words of gratitude that he didn’t feel to deserve. While he turned to the sink to start washing, he surprised himself by smiling and thinking, about dishes, about crewmates, about dreams.

“Man, that was really good…! Your food is the best, Sanji!”

Sanji turned around. Luffy was still sat, eyes closed and a satisfied smile stuck to his face. It had been a while since the last time he saw that view; no, actually, it hadn’t been so much. But that time there was a storm, in the field, in his eyes, in his heart, and he hadn’t been able to see at his full through the lightning and the tears.

“You still hungry, captain?”

It felt so good to ask that again.

“Hum, nope! I’m full!”

He patted his stomach, still grinning, and Sanji could not help but doing the same. He turned around quickly, though, as if he was afraid that if he looked for too long that sight would disappear. Maybe he was. Maybe he was afraid that when he woke up he discovered he was still surrounded by iron bars and the darkness of a kingdom built on top of cruelty and inhumanity.

His hands (his white, unharmed, real hands) stopped.

It wasn’t raining anymore.

“Luffy.”

“Hum?”

The straw hat swung slowly beside his chair. Sanji met his gaze.

“Thank you.”

It was easy. As easy as breathing, as hard as breathing.

_For coming._

Sanji still thought it was unfair. How those words banished in the air and left nothing but a weak echo that would be forgotten in a matter of time. How Luffy’s eyes would remain, because they always remained, and maybe one day Sanji would forget the rain and the storm and the tears burning in his cheeks, and the words struggling his way out through the safe lies stuck in his throat. But not Luffy, never Luffy.

Staring (and that stare remained).

_(Come back)._

Punching him (only one, powerful, direct, lacking of resentment and yet full of rage and respect, respect; above all, respect) in the face.

_(I’m not leaving)._

Glaring (and that glare remained).

_(Tell me the damn truth)._

And Sanji, through the tears and the storm, had seen it.

_(I wanna go home to the Sunny)._

Smiling (and that smile remained).

_For staying._

Sanji thought there was a way. There had actually always been a way. The one they had been following since the beginning.

He just had to keep going.

Sailing.

With them.

Luffy smiled.

He also remained.

_For believing._


End file.
